Pawsitively Miraculous
by swatkins
Summary: During finals week at university, Marinette carries bad news from home and learns that Adrien is leaving Paris. An Adrinette Oneshot.


It had been a bad week. Finals week was hard enough as it was, but Marinette was weighed down by more than just the pressure to do well in her classes. Her hands trembled a little as she gathered her books and notes, swallowing a hard, golf ball-sized lump in her throat. She took a detour to the girls' bathroom, splashing a bit of water on her face to clear a few of the blotchy, red spots.

"Did you hear?" an unfamiliar voice piped up behind her. Marinette tensed. "Adrien Agreste is leaving Paris."

"No!" a second voice answered. As Marinette raised her head to glance in the mirror at the two girls who had just walked in behind her, she recognized them from the class she'd just vacated. They paused their conversation upon seeing her.

"Hey, Marinette," one of them greeted kindly, noticing the red around her eyes. "Are you alright?"

Marinette managed a half smile as she turned to look at them. "I just got some bad news from home. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" the other girl asked. "You look like you've been crying…"

"I'll be alright," she insisted. "What was it you were saying about Adrien? He's one of my friends."

"Oh, we just heard that his father is sending him to Milan to do some business or modeling or something," the first explained. "I guess he waited until the end of the semester so that Adrien could finish his classes before sending him off."

Marinette's heart dropped into her stomach. "Really? I hadn't heard."

"Yeah, there was some sort of press release this morning."

"Oh." Marinette couldn't speak for a long moment after that as the girls studied her inquisitively.

"Marinette, is there anything we can do for you?" One of the girls reached out to touch her arm, but Marinette shook her head and readjusted the strap of her bag.

"No. I need to head home and call my dad. Thanks though."

Without waiting for a reply, she hurried out of the bathroom. Adrien was leaving? Why hadn't he told her?

She walked blindly through campus, occasionally bumping into students rushing frantically to some exam or leisurely strolling out of classrooms. She headed into the student center, intending to check the postal box she'd rented for the semester. Sometimes Adrien left her sticky notes on the door when he couldn't make it to class or when he wanted to talk to her, and her heart sank even further when she found it vacant of any brightly colored papers.

Tears stung her eyes as she leaned her head against the cool metal, not even bothering to open the box. She and Adrien had grown closer the past year at university, and she'd thought he'd considered her a close friend. Had she misread their relationship?

In the midst of her uncertainty, a familiar voice cut through her thoughts.

"Marinette?" The familiar tenor of Adrien's voice startled her quite effectively, and she bumped her head against the postal boxes. She rubbed the sore spot as she turned to face him.

Adrien had his bag slung over one shoulder, a bright blue sticky note in one hand, and a pleased smile on his face that dropped a little as he approached. "I was just coming to leave you a note," he said, a hint of concern coloring his words. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," she answered a little too quickly. "You just scared me and I hit my head. But I'm fine, see?" She tried for a bright smile as she lowered her hand.

Adrien cocked his head to one side, crumpling up the note in his hand while gently touching her forehead with the other. Her heart fluttered, much as it always had since their early school days whenever he was near.

"Well, it looks a little red, but you should live," he teased, taking a half step back. Marinette rolled her eyes at him. "Anyway, you're done with classes for the day, right? Wanna come over to my place to study for the physics final tomorrow?"

"Sure, sounds great," she agreed. She fell into step beside him as they left the student center and headed toward the dorms. Marinette had long since left her stutter behind where Adrien was concerned, which made these study sessions with him much more enjoyable. It had become fairly regular to spend evenings at his single dorm, quizzing one another, talking, studying, laughing, and designing.

"So, I heard a rumor," she began, deciding it best to broach the topic now rather than later when it would eat her up from the inside out.

"Oh yeah?" he asked nervously, one hand automatically going to the back of his neck.

"Yeah. Some girls told me that you're leaving Paris," she blurted. She cast him a sideways glance and, to her surprise, Adrien appeared relieved.

"Oh, that," he laughed. "Yeah, Father is sending me to Milan once the semester ends. Something about a fashion show and starting a new branch in Italy. I'm leaving tomorrow after the physics exam is over."

An unexpectedly sharp pang in her chest stole her breath for a second. "Th-that's great," she finally stammered. "Speaking of the final, do you think it'll be anything like the midterm?"

University was an easy topic, one that drew Marinette's mind away from Adrien's new role in his father's company and the other bad news simmering in her gut. Once they reached Adrien's dorm, still discussing her designing final, they deposited their bags on the table and Adrien pulled back the drapes to let in a little light.

As Adrien moved around the small apartment, Marinette's eyes fell on a menu from her parents' bakery taped to his fridge. The boy had an unmatched sweet tooth. While usually the sight of the menu filled her with fondness, today she blinked back tears and looked away. Adrien must have caught the look because his eyebrows furrowed.

"Something on your mind?" he asked. "You seem really down today."

Marinette opened her mouth to tell him she was fine, but the lump was back and she couldn't force the words out. She closed it again and shook her head. Adrien raised an unconvinced eyebrow as the concern deepened on his face. He watched her for a long moment, and Marinette lowered her eyes.

"Do—" she cleared her throat. "Do you have anything to eat?" she asked, trying to keep the trembling out of her voice.

Adrien moved past her. "Yeah, I think so. One sec."

She leaned against the counter while he rummaged in the adjacent cupboards and withdrew two crinkly, bright silver packages. He smiled apologetically at the appalled look on her face.

"I know they're not as good as your parents' pastries," he started, and Marinette couldn't stop the embarrassing snort that escaped her.

"They're _Poptarts,_ Adrien!" she giggled.

"I know, I know! Please don't cut me off for needing a bad replacement when I can't get to the bakery," he pleaded, though the gleam in his eye told her he was joking.

She smiled and bumped his shoulder with hers as he passed on his way to the toaster in the corner. "You do know you're my best friend, right? Besides Alya, of course."

Adrien beamed at her. "I hope so. Don't tell her that though. She might beat me with a broom for threatening her position."

Marinette laughed as he turned to the toaster. Watching him, the weight of what the girls said in the bathroom bore down on her, and her heart sank, somehow, even lower. Without thinking, she crossed the kitchenette to him and thumped her head gently against his arm.

"Hey," he said quietly, turning around and wrapping his arms around her. "What's going on, Marinette?"

For a moment, Marinette considered not telling him, but by the time she'd decided not to, the words were already spilling from her lips.

"Maman is sick," she whispered, and Adrien's arms tightened around her. "Really sick. Papa is taking care of her, and he's asked me to come home to help with the bakery."

"I'm so sorry, Marinette," he murmured. His unfettered kindness knocked down the last of her defenses. Tears rolled unbidden down her cheeks and her shoulders shook as she tried to hold back the sobs threatening to burst forward.

"I'm sorry," she cried, trying to step back. "Your shirt—"

Again Adrien tightened his hold. "Don't worry about it," he told her. "It's okay."

Somehow Marinette found her hands resting on his shoulders as she cried against his chest. Every tear released a little more of the burden she'd carried all week long, and Adrien rested his head against hers as she wept.

Marinette wasn't certain how long she cried, but after a time, her cries quieted and she leaned against Adrien, the last vestiges of tears clinging to her lashes and cheeks. Adrien rubbed small, comforting circles on her back. She realized at some point the fake pastries must have popped out of the toaster, but Adrien made no move to tend to them.

Marinette leaned back just a little and his hands came to a rest on her waist. She couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes, so she stared at the neckline of his shirt.

"I'm sorry about that," she mumbled. "I… didn't want you to see me like that."

Adrien made a noise somewhere between a chuckle and a sigh. "You're important to me, Marinette. I care about you whether you're having a bad day or happy as ever."

Then he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Marinette sucked in a sharp breath at the unexpected gesture, her hands still resting on his shoulders. She didn't dare look up at him now. Did he kiss all of his friends like this? He'd never done it before.

She released the breath slowly, and to her surprise, goosebumps rose on his neck. Her eyes widened as she moved one hand to brush a thumb along the delicate skin. Adrien pulled her a little closer, his breath warm on her cheek as he waited.

"Adrien?" she breathed, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Marinette," he answered. His voice gave nothing away.

A long moment passed and Marinette's thoughts tumbled over one another. She thought about the countless nights through the semester they'd studied together, the impromptu movie nights when he'd fallen asleep with his head resting against hers or one her shoulder, the notes left on her postal box, the teasing and note-passing in their shared physics class…

His impending departure to Milan.

"Can I give you something?" she asked on a whim. Adrien shifted a little, leaning back to look at her. His green eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"I like gifts," he said lightly.

Pink dusted Marinette's nose and cheeks, and her gaze flickered back tot eh goosebumps on his neck. They were still there.

"Okay, but… you have to close your eyes," she told him. He complied. "And… please don't hate me."

A smile ghosted across his face and she could imagine him rolling his eyes at her. "I could never hate you."

Marinette tilted her head back to look at him. Her heart thumped painfully in admiration and sorrow. He was leaving for Milan. Probably for months… she might not get another chance like this.

Her heart pounded somehow even harder as she rose up on her toes. She touched her lips to his, kissing him softly like she'd imagined doing a thousand times before. Adrien sucked in a startled breath, but didn't move away. She kissed him a moment longer, then lowered herself again and slipped out of his arms. She stepped back once, twice, three times before she hit the opposite counter. Only then did she meet his gaze.

Adrien looked like a more expressive statue from the wax museum—his lips were parted, his eyes widened in shock, and his hands hung limply at his sides. Marinette glanced down at her hands, wringing them for a moment before stilling them and returning her attention to Adrien. He still hadn't moved.

"Papa wants me back at the bakery tomorrow," she explained softly. "And with you moving to Italy, I just… I couldn't leave without you knowing how I felt—and how important you are to me." Tears pricked her eyes again, but she kept her eyes on Adrien. His green eyes were unreadable, his expression slowly melting from shock to something impassive that she couldn't decipher. He gave his head a little shake and panic swelled in her chest.

"Oh, no," she breathed. "You don't—you don't feel the same way. Of course you don't, I should have known." She clasped her hands and brought them to her chest as though they could protect her from Adrien's impending rejection. She squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her chin.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She heard the rustling of his clothes and couldn't stop herself from glancing up at him. He crossed the space between them in two strides and she tensed, waiting for the words to come.

They didn't. In between one heartbeat and the next, Adrien cupped her cheeks in his hands and brought his face to hers, claiming her lips with his own. Marinette gasped against his mouth and somehow her hands landed on his wrists. But she didn't push against him.

The kiss lasted just a moment, not even long enough for Marinette to respond before he broke away and leaned his forehead against hers.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to do that," he murmured. His hands slid from her cheeks down her arms to encircle her waist. "But I always thought I'd make the first move."

Marinette's head spun a little and she put her hands on his chest for support. "You—what?"

"I'm crazy about you, Marinette," he admitted, leaning back to meet her eyes. "I honestly couldn't tell you when it started, but I've wanted to be with you for years. I was so worried about losing you as a friend that I could never…" He trailed off, averting his gaze as his cheeks pinkened. "I wanted you in my life, even if you never saw me as more than a friend. I never imagined that you'd reciprocate."

Marinette's heart warmed and she raised a hand to his cheek. "Adrien… you're an idiot."

Adrien leaned back, looking a little hurt until he saw the gentle smile on her face.

"I've been crazy about you since the day we met," she said. "I tried to tell you dozens of times, but I could never get the words out. After Kagami… I did the same thing you did. I just wanted you there."

He tilted his head hopefully. "Can I be there now?"

Although Marinette ached to say yes, treacherous thoughts resurfaced and her face fell. "What about Italy?"

Adrien's brows drew together. "What about it?"

"Aren't you, you know, _moving_ there? For your dad's company?"

Understanding dawned in Adrien's eyes and he _chuckled._ Actually _laughed_ at her. Marinette pushed him back lightly.

"What?" she demanded.

"I'm not moving there, Marinette," he explained, grinning. "I'm only going for about a week to represent my father, model a few designs, and iron out a few details before the branch opens. It's not like he's sending me there to run it."

Marinette blinked and her mouth formed a small O. "That makes much more sense," she finally said with a small smile of her own. Then she glanced up at him from beneath her lashes. "And when you get back…?"

Adrien leaned down and brushed a kiss across her cheek. "When I get back, I'd like to take you on a real date," he told her softly. Then his expression turned serious. "And after that, I'll help out at the bakery, if you'll let me. I could run the register and do displays while your dad is with your mom."

"You would do that?" Marinette asked incredulously. "What about classes and the modeling?"

Adrien shrugged. "I'll take a leave of absence from university until your mom is better. Besides, the modeling isn't what I want to do with my life anyway." He pulled her a little closer to him. "I was hoping for something a little quieter, away from the public eye."

A new sort of warmth wormed its way into Marinette's chest, swelling until she wondered how she could keep from bursting. She reached up and Adrien met her halfway. She kissed him gently at first, then more insistently until she pulled back and lost herself in his eyes. Had they always been so deep?

"You're amazing," she whispered.

A slow smirk crossed his features, an expression that seemed all too familiar despite having never seen it on Adrien's face before.

"And you're _paw_sitively _miraculous,_ M'lady," he murmured. Marinette's jaw dropped. He booped her nose with one finger, then just as quickly stepped back to look at the toaster. "Now, how about those Poptarts?"

Marinette blinked at him as the gears in her brain churned. Her eyes landed on his ring and it clicked into place.

"Wait, _Chat?!"_

**The End.**


End file.
